Weber State University has secured back-to-back Wasatch Cup championships in 2024 and now 2025. Over the past decade, the Wildcats have played in five Wasatch Cup title games. Their first appearance ended in a loss to the University of Utah in 2020, and with the 2021 season canceled due to COVID-19, they returned in 2022, defeating BYU to claim their first championship.
My first season with the team concluded with the 2022-23 campaign, where we reached the final again, hoping to defend our title. However, in a tightly contested overtime battle, we fell to Utah State in Logan. As a freshman, making it to the championship gave me confidence in our team and coaching staff. The toughest part of that loss was seeing our seniors miss out on their final chance to lift the cup. I hadn’t won it yet, so I didn’t fully understand the heartbreak they felt.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, we met as a team to establish our goals. Nearly everyone shared the same objectives: qualify for nationals for the first time in a decade, win the Mountain West Championship, and reclaim the Wasatch Cup.
From day one, we knew what was at stake. Practices were competitive, and we pushed each other to improve. However, we struggled in November as finals and the holiday break loomed. After regrouping in the second semester, our focus sharpened. We secured the No. 1 seed for the Wasatch Cup and opened the tournament against fourth-seeded Utah Valley, winning in dominant fashion by a score of 6-2 to advance to the final.
Meanwhile, Utah upset second-seeded Utah State, securing their first title game appearance since 2020. The final was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to pull away. Every time we scored, Utah answered. It felt as if the game might never end, but eventually, Weber State prevailed 7–5, bringing the cup back to Ogden.
Winning the championship game on our home ice as a sophomore in front of a sold-out crowd was unforgettable. The previous year’s loss in Logan was heartbreaking, playing in a hostile environment, but capturing the title in front of our fans made it even more special. Holding the cup for the first time was surreal; we had proven that the previous year’s loss was a fluke, and we deserved to be champions.
Throughout the rest of the season and summer, we kept the cup in our locker room as motivation for incoming recruits, showing them what it took to win. As we prepared for the 2024-25 season, we once again discussed our expectations.
As a junior, I now understood how special it was to be the best team in Utah. The freshmen hadn’t yet experienced the joy of winning a championship, and I wanted to help them understand the importance of never taking hockey for granted.
This season started differently. We struggled in the fall, starting with a losing record of 1–5 but rallied to finish 13–9 heading into 2025. That momentum reinforced our confidence. We believed that if we played our game, no one could beat us. All year, the Wasatch Cup sat in the center of our locker room, reminding us of what we were fighting to keep.
As the 2025 Wasatch Cup approached, the bracket mirrored the previous year: Weber State vs. Utah Valley, Utah vs. Utah State. Our semifinal matchup was a grind, but we edged out a 3–2 overtime win against a red-hot Utah Valley goalie. On the opposite side of the bracket, Utah once again beat Utah State, setting up a rematch of the 2024 final.
All season, we had battled Utah, winning three of four meetings. However, the Utes entered the championship on an 11-game win streak. Before the game, Head Coach Yosh Ryujin gave us the confidence and motivation to defend our title. From the opening faceoff, we played with intensity. Though the game was fast, physical, and penalty-filled on our end, we stayed composed per the words of Coach Ryujin, 2024’s West Region ACHA Co-Coach of the Year.
Unlike the previous year’s back-and-forth contest, we built a 3–1 lead. Still, Utah refused to back down, tying the game late. Then, junior forward Jaden Hewes delivered the game-winning goal, securing a 4–3 victory and another Wasatch Cup championship for Weber State.
Going back-to-back with this group of players made the win even more special. For 60 minutes, we executed our game plan and did what was necessary to keep the Wasatch Cup in Ogden. Winning never gets old, and we don’t take it for granted. You never know when your next championship opportunity will come, but for now, Weber State remains Wasatch Cup champions for another year.
